Chapter II
by AdotD
Summary: Continuation of Friends. Sakura goes on a mini-vacation and runs into an old friend. Is a second chance possible? sasusaku, AU.
1. One

**Hello everyone! It's been so long, but here's another story that's been brewing in my head for quite some time. It's a semi-continuation of _Friends_ (please check that one out too! Shameless plug? I know. Haha) and I hope you'll like this one. I'm thinking two or three more chapters after this. Depends if you guys end up liking it! As usual, standard disclaimers apply. Naruto isn't mine :)  
**

* * *

-Chapter II-

_It's too bright out_, she mused.

Eyeing the semi-empty road and making sure she did not veer off the lane, Sakura carefully adjusted the sunglasses over her eyes. Stifling a yawn, she made for the nearest fast food place that offered breakfast.

It was currently ten in the morning.

Yet she felt so sluggish and practically had to drag herself out of bed to get her Sunday started. She figured Ino would still be sleeping for a couple of hours. To Sakura, though, sleeping past noon was almost sacrilegious—that's just half of the day down the drain. And while she's an efficient worker, sometimes it takes a couple of hours for her to get into work mode. Especially today, because she was nursing a terrible hangover.

_How many martinis did I have last night? Five or six? _Ino dragged her to an open bar event and somehow managed to make her drink more than she intended.

"Troublesome," she commented, mimicking one of her friends' favorite catchphrase.

The greasy burgers and fries displayed on the drive-thru menu glared at her as she sat in the car and took a few minutes trying to figure out what to order. Thankful that the place still served breakfast at that hour, she decided on a sausage-biscuit sandwich and a large iced coffee.

Not her usual coffee, but it had to do.

000

Pulling up to her usual parking spot back at her apartment, Sakura eyed the paper bag containing her breakfast. She would have whipped something up this morning, but her raging headache deemed it was too much work.

She sighed.

She wasn't complaining, but this was one of those days when she wished she woke up next to someone who would make her breakfast.

She took a sip from her hazelnut iced coffee and noted how contradictory it was to have caffeine while dehydrated. Still, the cold liquid soothed her throat, and she definitely needed a dose to shake her awake.

She thought about how Ino and Shikamaru would probably go out for brunch once they finally wake up. Naruto and Hinata are probably having some sort of ramen right now. And then there was the forever-single Sakura, sitting in her car, currently having the saddest train of thought, common to those who don't have anyone to eat breakfast with. _Really, waking up to a few slices of toast and some poached eggs would be fantastic. Waking up to someone…_

"It must be nice," she breathed. Too tired to scold herself for adding yet another thought to her ever-growing romantic cliché list, she allowed a second to let everything settle before forcing her brain to switch to work mode. She has a 45 page review article to write and while it's not due for another couple days, the pile of research articles on her desk will actually take more time.

Her brain then mentally sorted out the articles needed to be read for her review. She was officially in work mode.

000

With ten articles down and three more to go, Sakura had a nice outline started for her paper. She was about to start reading the eleventh one when her phone rang.

"Forehead, why the hell did you let me drink so much last night?"

Sakura scoffed.

"Ino, I remember telling you to slow down as you took your fifth shot of tequila. You were very graceful last night, calling me a pussy for not taking that shot with you."

Her best friend of too many years laughed. "HAHA. I did, didn't I? Oh whatever, Sakura. You know you had fun. You were in your own little world after how many glasses of martini? Two?"

"Try six, you whore." She laughed. At this rate, she might lose the motivation to finish reading all the research articles. She might have to end the conversation soon, before Ino starts a long story about who knows what and for who knows how long.

"Haha. Six, it is! But anyway, hurry up and finish whatever you're working on because we are leaving in two days! I managed to convince Shikamaru to drive. Actually, it wasn't that difficult, all I had to do was refuse him of-

Sakura's ears perked up. "Wait, what? We're leaving in two days for what?" _Now,_Ino had her attention.

A pause, then-

"Sakura, you promised! Remember? You agreed to go to a mini vacation with me for a couple of days? You got sooooo excited when I brought it up that you starting naming off things you want to do like try out the cool seaside restaurants and check out the museum and maybe try ziplining and-

"Pig, since when did I have time for a vacation?" _That headache was starting to come back._

"Correction: mini vacation. Just a few days! And you promised me this last night. If you don't go, I'll go find a better best friend. With normal colored hair!"

It was the silliest threat. She absentmindedly twirled a lock of pink hair around her finger and found herself trying to recollect what happened the night before. She was on her fourth glass of martini when…

"Oh you sly pig! You snuck that in between drinks!" It slowly dawned on her. Ino _did _bring up going on a mini vacation, to which Sakura excitedly agreed. They met a couple of girls last night, who eagerly talked about their recent trip—full of relaxation, fun, with a side of great looking men. Of course, in her drunken state of mind, Sakura imagined herself at the beach, enjoying the soft warm sand and listening to the melodious roll of waves while sipping on cocktails and getting eyefuls of well-built handsome men, walking around shirtless and such. It only took a minute for Ino to suggest a trip, and three seconds for Sakura to say, "Hell fucking yes."

"I _so _did not!" Ino claimed indignantly. "Anyway, I have to go, Shikamaru's back and we're going out for brunch. You better be working on your paper! That needs to be done like, ASAP."

Sakura heard someone mumble something that sounded like 'troublesome.'

"Ino…"

"No buts, if you want to see nice butts!"

She was beginning to think her best friend was still drunk.

"Fine."

"Well duh you would agree! I already booked hotel rooms! Okay, I'll be on my best behavior and not bother you for the rest of the day, and maybe even tomorrow. Get that done, forehead!"

"I'm hanging up now, Pig. I think you just invited my headache back." Sakura started rubbing her temples.

"Yeah, yeah! Call me when you're done. We have to go shopping for outfits! Ah! Okay, Shikamaru, I got it! Bye, Sakura!"

_-click-_

Sakura stared at her phone screen for a good minute or two, and then directed her eyes at the neat outline of topics she was getting ready to write about.

_Forty-five pages on graphene. Must be finished within two days._

She stood up and padded to the kitchen. _Coffee. Coffee. Coffee._That was her mantra for the next couple of torturous hours.

000

"Oh, _hi boobs._"

"Ino."

Sakura was currently modeling the white swimsuit Ino picked out for her. The 45 pages graphene torture was done and over with _just_30 minutes ago. It took two days, and she had to beg Ino to delay their trip for a day because there was no way she was turning in a rushed paper. Her best friend relented on the condition that Sakura will have owe her 'something'.

The 'something' was yet to be decided, which scares her a little bit. Ino tends to be _too _creative with her ideas. But she did what she had to do to acquire more time for her paper. If anything, Ino will probably just have her help out at her parent's flower shop. She thinks. She hopes.

And so two days later, Sakura submitted a much refined review article on graphene and its applications. Just thirty minutes after getting back to her apartment, Ino was already dragging her to buy outfits for the trip.

She stared at the mirror in front of her. _Not bad, _she thought. It was a simple two piece string bikini. She was amazed how the top managed to make her chest look bigger and rounder. Normally, she would go for something tamer, but all those hours spent reading and re-reading research papers had made her ache for the mini-vacation with her friends. Fun nights on the beach and some city exploration will definitely serve as perfect stress relievers.

"You _like_ it. White is good! Slutty,really. But it depends on who wears it. Right now, you're a mix of 'I want you to bang me' and 'I'm too good for you,' which is what we are really aiming for when looking for these suits. I mean _hellooooo _boobies! Did you go up a size? I swear they're starting to reach mine. Or oh! Maybe I shrunk? No, that can't be. Shikamaru would have pointed that out…"

Sakura shook her head at her best friend. The blonde was rambling off again. Looking back at her reflection, she decided that she'll buy this one. The white brings out her green eyes. And it's not a bad combination with her pink hair. Not to mention the fact that her cleavage looks so damn good in them. _So yes, I'll buy them. Why not? _She headed back for the dressing room to change back into her clothes. If they miraculously finish shopping in an hour or two, Sakura might even have a few hours to shed on sleeping. Her face definitely had 'sleep-deprived' written all over it.

"Hey, Sakura," Ino called out from outside the dressing room. Sakura noticed the slight change of tone in her voice and wondered why they're suddenly switching to a more serious conversation.

"Yeah? I'm almost done, hold on."

"I never told you where we're going. I mean, yeah, we're going to the beach. But I might have forgotten to mention that we're going to the beach in _that _city…" she trailed off.

There was a pregnant pause before Sakura finally opened the door. She looked tired more than ever.

"Then there's no way in hell I'm going, Ino."

"Sakura…"

She stared at her best friend for what seemed like forever and then-

"Just kidding!" she grinned. "Are you serious right now? You're worried about _that_? It's been well over a year; the guy is pretty much a stranger to me. Besides, Naruto mentioned sometime ago that he's mostly out attending business trips. The likelihood of running into him is very low."

Ino's baby blues started intently at Sakura's green irises.

"Sakura, that was _so _fake."

Sakura scowled. "Like your boobs?" she answered.

"The hell they are!" Ino quipped, clutching her breasts preciously. "Really though, Forehead. You're okay with it? I mean, it's the best city to visit; it has everything: beach, restaurants, and all those art places you like so much. The hotel rates aren't so bad either. I tried checking other places, but the price ranges for those were too damn high."

Sakura laughed. She picked up the clothes she intended to buy and walked towards the cashier with Ino. "Really, I'm okay. If you think about it, we haven't really talked about Sasuke in a while, right? I'm done. I've _been _done. So it's okay." Her heart sunk at the sound of his name coming out of her mouth, but she quickly dismissed it.

Ino released a sigh she had been holding for the longest time. The last thing she wanted to happen was have Sakura bothered by the fact that they're going to the very city Sasuke moved to.

"Alright then, it's settled. Can we look for club outfits now? Oh don't look at me like that! You're going on a trip, might as well go all out for it!"

000

That night, Sakura laid in bed and allowed herself to think about Sasuke. She hated memories of him. People have said before that memories are beautiful because they serve as reminders of the cherished moments spent either doing something precious, or spending time with special people.

She got up and grabbed her laptop from her desk and settled back in bed. Several clicks later, her eyes were staring at black orbs.

These are the very reasons why she hated her memories of Sasuke. These were pure memories, and thinking about them does anything but evoke happiness. A year had passed since they last saw each other and her heart is still not done healing. She had told Ino time and again that she hardly cared, but it was a blatant lie. She supposes things got easier as time passed by. In the beginning, Sasuke was all she could think about; day and night. It was annoying and heartbreaking at the same time.

Sasuke, who was one of her closest friends.

Sasuke, who was there to comfort her when things fell apart with Sai.

Sasuke, who gave her piggy back rides when her heels started to hurt.

Sasuke, who listened to her ramblings about the stresses of life.

_A year and a half after meeting Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura had (secretly) fallen in love._

She had fallen in love with the Sasuke who enjoyed driving aimlessly at night, to clear his mind.

The Sasuke who always ordered pizza with tomatoes. Tomatoes with everything, really.

The Sasuke who told her about his family problems and apprehensiveness towards starting a family of his own, years down the road.

The Sasuke who taught her how to drive a manual car and kept patience when she embarrassingly stalled what seemed like a hundred times.

_The Sasuke she had kissed, one drunken night._

_The Sasuke she played fire with, five sober nights._

They were friends for four years.

_But this was the Sasuke who was in love with someone else._

Sakura had confessed her feelings to him a few days before his big move. To which he replied, "I'm not really the best option right now, considering that I'm moving in a few days."

He said it so softly, but it felt like he squeezed her heart into a worthless pulp. Sakura knew Sasuke still harbored feelings for that girl. So it was hard to compete. Still, she wanted to let him know how she felt. In hindsight, it was a bad idea.

But she _swore_ she felt something during those nights spent with him. He was _so_ gentle and he was _so_ open. So vulnerable. His eyes were more expressive than ever. He laughed and cracked witty remarks. He moaned her name. His face was full of expression. She saw a side of him that no one else has seen. And he was a _damn _good cuddler.

And yet he left without saying good bye. His text replies were cold and curt. Not once has he openly started a conversation to ask how life was going for her. He didn't even greet her a happy birthday.

And now here she is, a year later. Slowly clicking 'Next' on her laptop as she viewed pictures of Sasuke. Frozen moments of happiness with Sasuke. During those nights in college spent with friends, random events, and just simple moments.

Truthfully, she had a feeling that Ino would plan a trip to _that_ city. It was the only budget-efficient choice. But in all honesty, she wasn't sure that they _won't _run into Sasuke. Yes, the likelihood was very low; Naruto had mentioned that Sasuke's job involved a lot of traveling. She was a bit crestfallen to find out that Sasuke still keeps in contact with his friend here, but not her.

The likelihood was low, but the possibility is still there.

She wasn't sure if she feared or welcomed this possibility. She wasn't ready. It's cowardly to admit it, but her heart isn't done healing. So she is earnestly hoping that this vacation will be filled with memories that she will sure cherish later on. All she wanted was a peaceful time at the beach, enjoy delicious food, and visit the local art galleries. Ino will most likely drag her to clubs, and for once, she wouldn't mind at all. She might even challenge the blonde to a drinking challenge.

A picture of her and Sasuke from Halloween a few years ago appeared on her screen. This was the first time she celebrated Halloween with friends. Everyone was drunk that night and Hinata managed to capture a picture of Sakura laying her head on Sasuke's shoulder.

In this pictue, Sakura appeared ridiculously drunk, yet happy. Sasuke's face was handsome as always, even after shots of alcohol. When Hinata first shared Halloween pictures with everyone, Sakura had to squint a few times before finally noticing the small smile gracing Sasuke's lips. She found it absolutely hilarious that someone had managed to capture him _actually smiling. _He, on the other hand, merely shrugged. She even changed her online profile picture to that particular photo, and even more people found it cute and funny. Until someone pointed out that they would make a good couple.

Sakura remembered how weird that comment was. She ended up removing the picture because the thought of her and Sasuke together was _so_weird. They were friends.

Little did she know that she would actually fall for him, a year later.

She let her eyes linger at his smile for a few more seconds before turning her laptop off. Tomorrow, she will be stuck in a car with Shikamaru, Ino, Hinata, and Naruto. She can't even imagine the kinds of conversation that will ensue.

Finally, she started to feel excited about this trip. She needed this break from life.

And so she settled into bed and closed her eyes. It took what felt like _forever _for her to finally fall asleep. Memories of Sasuke managed to swim endlessly across her eyelids tonight.

000

"Seven hours and we're finally here! Oh my freaking goodness, that felt like forever and a day!" Ino remarked.

Sakura, Ino, Hinata, Naruto, and Shikamaru stepped into their suite. It was beautiful and spacious. And just a few minutes' walk to the beach.

"Ne, Ino. You didn't even drive! It was all Shikamaru and me!" Naruto answered, already opening his backpack to get his precious instant ramen bowls out.

Sakura wrinkled her nose. "Really, Naruto? We're finally here and all you want to do is eat instant ramen?" she commented.

"Sakura-chan! Don't be like that! It's almost dinner time! I brought one for everyone, see? Hinata, I brought miso just for you!"

Hinata, his girlfriend of about a year now, blushed and quietly took the miso ramen bowl. "N-Naruto-kun, maybe we can check out restaurants around town? Sakura is right. Maybe we'll find a nice ramen shop somewhere."

At this suggestion, Naruto's eyes bulged. "Well what the hell are we waiting for? Let's GO! Oh man, oh man, oh man. Why didn't _I_think of that?"

Shikamaru took one look at him and mumbled, "Troublesome," before heading for the door.

000

The group settled for a seafood restaurant not far from their hotel. Naruto was almost inconsolable; he was looking forward to slurping bowls of ramen, but he was outnumbered 3 to 2 (Hinata was on his side, of course). To calm his turmoil, his girlfriend merely mentioned the bowls of ramen waiting for him back at their suite.

It worked. And the group enjoyed their salmon, shrimp, mussels, and crawfish thoroughly. They all noted that dinner was especially delicious in the company of great friends.

At the end of the meal, they decided to take a stroll around the boardwalk. Sakura, who was feeling a bit 5th wheel by this time, decided to go on her own and check out the beach. After reassuring everyone that she'll be fine and that she was interested in checking out a medical expo booth they passed by earlier (to which Naruto said, "EW!"), they finally let her go.

After picking up books on physiology and biomedical technology, she realized that it was too early to head back to the hotel. It was chilly out, but she was smart enough to bring a shawl with her.

_I'll stay out for one more hour. _She decided.

Her feet led her to the dock.

000

Sasuke was tired. He had three business trips in a row which required him to travel constantly. The meetings weren't difficult, but he disliked having to deal with so many people in a short period of time. He definitely didn't like the way female business associates wanted more time spent going over proposals than what was needed.

He was finally back at his apartment. Peace and quiet at last. After finishing the tomato pizza he had picked up on the way back from the airport, he changed into more comfortable clothes and headed out for the beach.

000

Sakura had been sitting on the dock for more than an hour now, just staring at the water, clouds, and sky aimlessly. Thrice, she had to discourage little kids from leaning over the edge too much. The water seemed cold, and she wasn't ready to jump in to haul little kids back to safety, in the event that one actually falls in. As it got later into the night, people cleared out from the dock and she enjoyed the gradual peacefulness descending upon her surroundings.

She remembered seeing Sasuke on the exact spot where she was currently sitting. It was about a year ago, when she wanted to get out of town to take a small break from everything. She knew Sasuke usually frequented this beach, but never thought she'd actually _see _him.

Unfortunately, he didn't see her. And her heart was in too much pain to actually walk up to him and strike a, "Hey, how have you been?" conversation. She left without saying anything.

It was getting colder by the minute and she had already received calls from her friends back at the hotel. Apparently, the group ran into Neji and Tenten while they were out sight seeing, and had invited them back to the suite to have some drinks. Sakura promised Naruto she will head back in half an hour, and she's currently 15 minutes over.

Swinging her legs back up to the wooden planks of the dock, she slowly stood up and glanced at the moon once more. Full moon.

"So pretty," she remarked.

Just then, a cool breeze swirled all around her.

000

He was annoyed.

Someone was sitting on his spot. From what he could see, it was a woman.

Sasuke had two options: One, he could settle for another spot on the beach, or two, he could approach the woman.

The second option then stems into two possible results. Either the woman gets scared and leaves, or the woman ends up latching onto him.

He scoffed.

Annoying, indeed.

After a few seconds of hesitation, he figured that even if the woman latches onto him, he can easily find ways to send her home.

He eyed the spot once more. He liked consistency in his life, and this spot is a part of his routine. The moon looks the same from any other part of the world, but he enjoyed it best when it is reflected by the sea.

He started walking towards the dock.

000

He was around ten steps away from the woman when he noticed her stand up.

_She's leaving. Good._

She was in the middle of stretching her arms when a cool breeze flew by and cast her shawl away.

He caught it without looking.

Because his sight was arrested by the pink strands of hair that spilled into the air.

000

"Ah, shit," she whispered. She was too slow to grab her shawl before it had been blown away. She quickly turned around, hoping that it didn't drift towards the water when she found it clasped in someone's hands.

Her eyes drifted to the face of her shawl-catcher.

_Stunning viridians met deep obsidians.  
_

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**There you go, folks! I would _very_ much appreciate reviews! Any suggestions/constructive criticisms would be greatly appreciated! Till next time :)  
**


	2. Two

**Here's the second chapter :) Shout out to Wintry Leen! Thank you so much for reviewing the first chapter! I described this particular fic as a semi-continuation of _Friends_ because it's written differently. It may or may not draw from everything that was covered in _Friends_, but the general aspect is there, nonetheless. I hope that makes sense? And the characters are about 23/24 here :) Again, thanks so much for the input!**

**Hope everyone enjoys this!**

* * *

His eyes widened for a fraction of a second.

She noticed.

He knew she noticed. She always notices the small things about him. They both knew that.

Seconds that felt like forever lingered between them. It was Sasuke who spoke first.

"What are you doing here?"

Her heart skipped a beat at the sound of his voice. Sakura's eyes roamed all over his form. He still has that excruciatingly beautiful face, and it took all her willpower not to fall into his bottomless obsidian eyes. She took note of his creased brows.

She blinked. "Do you own this dock or something?" she questioned.

He didn't reply.

Tension gathered up in her shoulders. Sakura remembered the promise she made to herself. If she were ever to see Sasuke again, she promised that she will show nothing but nonchalance towards him. For the past year, they never communicated, save for the moments when she broke down and sent 'Hey, how are you' text messages to him. A total of three times. While he replied courteously, she wished that he'd just ignored her altogether. He always replied with "Good", and never inquired about her well being (if it was possible to reply with a 'Hn', she would bet everything she had that he would have). He was cold and distant. At first, she thought that he just avoided her because of the things that happened between them. Maybe he was just giving her space. But as time passed by, she deduced that he simply _didn't care anymore_. And that she was hopelessly clinging onto a faded friendship. It seemed that it was all too easy for him to cut ties with her.

She was still holding his gaze. Carefully, she let out a breathy exhale before flashing him a lukewarm smile.

"It's nice to see you again, Sasuke," she started. Sakura took careful strides towards him until she was a step away. Sasuke noted the warmth radiating from her. "Let's go. Everyone is waiting," she finished, while grabbing the shawl from his hand. Their fingers lightly touched.

And with that, she stepped away from him and started her trek towards the hotel.

Sasuke caught the familiar smell of lavender and vanilla. Oddly, it mixed well with the salty breeze of the sea. With a last glance at the full moon, he let out a small sigh and followed Sakura. A few long strides and he was already at her side. They walked in silence.

000

Not even a few seconds had passed since Sakura opened the door to their suite, stringing Sasuke along, when Naruto opened his mouth.

"Temeeeee! I thought you weren't coming in until tomorrow? Why didn't you tell me you're back early? We could have gone to dinner togeth-"

At this greeting, both Sakura and Sasuke whipped their heads to the loud blonde. Before Naruto could finish his ramblings, an ashtray was already headed for his head. Reflex guided him to catch the flying object before it hit him square on the forehead.

"What the fuck was that for, bastard?" he followed, throwing the ashtray back at his assailant.

"Dobe." Sasuke replied, catching the object easily. _Can't keep your idiot mouth shut._

Sakura stared at the crystal ashtray clutched in Sasuke's hand. It only took a few seconds to process what Naruto had just said. _He knew we were going to be here?_ Her eyes moved from the object to Sasuke's profile. He wasn't facing her. It seemed that he was refusing to. _He was expecting us?_ Sasuke returned the ashtray back to the small table by the door and started walking towards Naruto. _Was he planning to join us?_ He reached Naruto. The blonde stared at him for a second before throwing a quasi-punch and then tackling the Uchiha in a tight hug.

"You still throw like a girl," Sasuke grimaced, as he struggled to break free from the bear hug.

"At least I don't _look_ like a girl, loser!" Naruto yelled, finally letting go of his friend.

All the commotion and yelling brought the rest of their friends into the common area. At the sight of Sasuke, Ino squeaked.

"What are _you_ doing here?" she half-yelled at him.

Sasuke turned his attention from Naruto to Ino and raised a brow. "Hello, Ino," he greeted.

The girl could not do anything but nod numbly at his greeting. Slowly, she peered at Sakura, who was silently standing by the door. She was met with passive green eyes.

"How's all that flying around treating you, Sasuke?" Shikamaru inquired, reaching out a hand to a familiar acquaintance.

"Hn. Good. Clouds everywhere," Sasuke replied as he grasped and shook the man's hand.

"Tsk. All that traveling must be troublesome," the lazy guy commented, before finally walking away to grab a beer from the fridge in the next room.

Neji and Sasuke shared a silent greeting and both nodded their heads in recognition. Tenten gave the Uchiha a short wave, which was promptly returned.

"G-good to see you, Sasuke," Hinata piped in as she entered the room, joining Naruto at Sasuke's side. Sasuke mumbled a quick "Thanks."

After a few moments of silence, Naruto clapped a hand on Sasuke's back.

"Well? Why are we still standing here? Shikamaru, grab more beers! Let's go the other room and catch up with one another! Let's get fucking wasted!"

000

They all sat on the floor, in a circle.

Eyeing the empty green bottle in the middle, Sakura let out an exasperated sigh and glanced at Naruto.

"This is incredibly juvenile," she pointed as she made the move to stand up.

"Aw, come on, Sakura-chan! Don't be like that! We're on vacation! This should be lots of fun, believe it!" Naruto clasped his hands together and pleaded with Sakura, dramatically blinking his eyes.

She always had a soft spot for his sparkling ceruleans.

"This is so dumb," she remarked, sitting back down and settling between Ino and Tenten.

The blonde man was delighted. He was happy that everyone agreed to his drinking game. Shikamaru deemed it too troublesome to decline; Ino was fine with whatever drinking game and managed to convince Tenten, who, in turn, convinced Neji. He suspected that Sasuke would finally relent after a few nudges and Hinata did not need any convincing at all.

Suddenly, a brilliant beyond brilliant (according to him) idea struck him.

He grabbed the empty bottle and promptly eased his way out of the circle. He reached for Shikamaru (who was secretly dozing off) in a hurry and padded to the adjacent room.

The rest of the group stared at the two men as they left.

"What the hell?" Tenten inquired.

Both Sasuke and Neji rolled their eyes and remained silent. Sakura sighed.

"Who cares," Ino commented. She dragged a full bottle of tequila into the middle and produced shot glasses (out of nowhere?) next to the liquor. "Shots while those idiots are out!" she finished. She poured two shots for Sakura, who took it without complaining. Silently, Ino wondered. _Why the fuck is Sasuke here and what the hell is going on in Sakura's head?_

In the next room, both Shikamaru and Naruto eyed their game piece. The bottom of the bottle has a little crack. The dimmed lights in their suite hid the little anomaly.

"You sure this is going to work?"

"Naruto, I already explained twice. Here," Shikamaru grabbed the bottle and spun it with a measured force. The bottle spun round and round until it slowed down and stopped. Its opening pointed at a painting that hung on the opposite wall. Once again, he gave it another spin, and the bottle stopped facing the same direction.

Naruto snickered. "I'm so smart!"

Shikamaru grumbled. "Troublesome. I know what you're trying to do. Why don't you just leave them alone?"

The blonde took the bottle and spun it carefully. Again, its opening landed towards the painting. He couldn't contain his excitement anymore. He snickered some more.

"Did you see those two? They're not even talking to each other. You remember what happened that one night, right? They kissed like fifty billion times in front of us! Both drunk, yeah. But something's there! Now everything's weird between them and it's…it's troublesome!"

The lazy boy just shook his head. It was too troublesome to tell Naruto that whatever was going on with Sasuke and Sakura will be settled by no one but them. He decided to leave it alone and join everyone else back in the adjacent room.

Naruto followed with a mischievous grin on his face. He cradled the bottle in his arms as if it were a baby.

000

"Sakura-chan!"

She was starting to feel the effects of alcohol. "Me again?"

"Truth or Dare!"

"…tru..no..dare." She avoided truth each time. She had a feeling that any questions will be somehow linked to Sasuke. A pretty good feeling, at that. Because every single dare she has done so far had something to do with Sasuke. "Wait, it's not even pointed at me! It's pointed at Shikamaru, you idiot!"

The first time the bottle pointed at her, Naruto dared her to sit next to Sasuke. It was not a big deal, but she sure took her sweet time getting up from her spot between Tenten and Ino to finally settling between Sasuke and Shikamaru. She brushed shoulders with the Uchiha as she sat down, and while a shiver ran down her spine, it couldn't really compare to those nights spent with him, months and months ago. Remembering her promise of being cool, calm, and collected, she flashed Sasuke (who now sat to her left) a smile before settling her attention back to the bottle. She did so quickly, because she had already found him staring at her when she turned to smile at him. She casted a glance at Naruto, curious as to why he dared her to do such a thing (she never told him how those drunken kisses escalated to nights of…you know what…with Sasuke), but the boy was preoccupied, whispering something to Hinata's ear, who blushed and nodded her head eagerly.

The second time, Ino dared her to punch Sasuke. She obliged in two seconds. The man to her left threw her half a glare as he rubbed his arm. Surely, he will be sporting a bruise by tomorrow morning (thanks to Sakura's weird inhuman strength). Silently, she thanked Ino for such a wonderful dare. The third time, Shikamaru dared her to keep a yoga pose for ten minutes, while facing east. The only yoga pose Sakura knew was the one where she had to balance on one foot while arching the other backwards to meet her hands, which lay on her head. Unfortunately, 'east' meant facing her left, where Sasuke sat. So there she was, trying to keep a yoga pose (which was much harder after a few shots of alcohol), chest jutting out, while facing Sasuke. Thankfully, the Uchiha humored her and did not openly stare. But she thought she caught him sneaking glances at her every now and then. Sakura dismissed it though, and blamed everything on the alcohol.

The fourth time, Ino dared her to give Sasuke a shoulder massage. The cool, calm, and collected Sakura vanished. She bristled. _This Pig should be on my side! What the hell?_ But her best friend was already at the gates of I'm-too-drunk-to-think, and had already been spewing random dares. Ino had dared Tenten to unwind her hair from its braids, which was done promptly. It was the first time everyone saw her hair down (and they all took turns, save for Sasuke and Neji, in running their fingers through her smooth locks). But it wasn't the best part. Soon after this dare, the bottle spun and stopped, facing Neji. After taking yet another shot of tequila, Ino threw caution to the wind and dared Neji to put his hair in buns. The whole room exploded in laughter (Sasuke smirked), except for a wide-eyed Neji. But a dare was a dare, and Tenten helped his hair into braided buns. It was all too comical to see Neji's silky brown hair braided in two buns; very Tenten-like. In retrospect, he could have declined the dare and taken a shot of liquor instead (they tweaked the rules; what's truth or dare without alcohol anyway? One could choose to take a shot of alcohol in place of a dare or a question that could not be answered), but all the men had to take triple shots of alcohol (courtesy of Hinata's dare), just a few moments before Tenten unraveled her hair. His system begged him to slow down on the alcohol.

"I'll take the shot," Sakura decided. There was no way she's giving him a massage. As she grimaced after tilting back her head and emptying the contents of a shot glass poured for her, Sakura tried to count how many shots she had taken. _Possibly four or five in 40 minutes?_ She knew she had to slow down; her limit was six or seven, maybe more, if stretched out for a longer period of time.

The game continued on and on, Sasuke was dared to walk around the perimeter of the suite using his hands. Naruto was dared to leave three of his ramen bowls outside their suite (he checked five minutes later and much to his dismay, the bowls were gone; room service must have taken them away). The blond tearfully threw angry glares at Neji, who thought of the dare.

Ino was asked if Shikamaru was lazy in bed, to which she replied, "Ohohoho! Forehead, don't you dare eye my boyfriend! This here (as she tapped a finger on Shikamaru's chest) is a _beast_! Sometimes, I almost can't keep up with him! I have a feeling you'll ask how big he is too. Well if you want to compare him with-"

Before she finished her sentence, both Sakura and a blushing Shikamaru had planted their hands on Ino's mouth.

"—mmf!"

Hinata quickly spun the bottle.

"S-Sasuke, truth or dare?"

"Aa. Dare." He figures the Hyuga girl wouldn't be too creative with her dares. He never chose truth, like Sakura, because he liked to keep his secrets to himself.

Hinata threw a quick glance at an inebriated Naruto before opening her mouth.

"T-then Sasuke, I d-dare you to k-kiss Sakura."

Ino, already past the gates of I'm-too-drunk-to-think, crossed back to reality and suddenly sat straight. Shikamaru opened an eye. Neji (still in buns) raised a brow. Tenten paused from running fingers through her hair.

Sakura silently choked on air.

"Why is everyone so quiet? Teme already did this before, remember? We were all there and these two ate each other's faces like it was nobody's business! I mean, they were full on kissing. I'm surprised nothing happened afterw-"

A pillow hit him in the face.

"Dobe."

As Naruto tore the pillow away from his face, Sasuke faced an all-too-nervous Sakura. Her gaze was directly pointed at the bottle in the middle of the circle, as if it was the most interesting artifact in the world.

"Sakura," Sasuke breathed.

She quickly jerked her head away from the bottle and towards him. "W-What's up, Sasuke?" _Stuttered! How could I stutter?_

Their friends stared at them as they stared at each other.

He leaned his face closer to hers. She didn't move away. Sasuke kept inching closer to Sakura until their breaths intermingled; one gentle push would seal their lips together. He could smell lavender, vanilla, and tequila. She could smell the cologne she chose for him (years ago), mixed with the alcohol he's been drinking. He recognized the faint freckles dusting her cheeks, which were almost too invisible, unless you get this close to her face (something he's noticed years ago, before everything, when she fell asleep with her head on his lap—a night spent watching a dull romantic comedy she insisted, as she lamented over her single life). She noticed the way his lips pulled into a smirk.

He peered into her eyes and opened his mouth.

"I'll take the shot," he said. And with that, he pulled back and grabbed a shot glass. He heard Sakura release a shaky breath as she settled her attention somewhere else. Sasuke poured tequila to the brim and emptied it in a second. He followed it with another shot (finally emptying the third bottle of the night) before reaching for the game piece and spinning it with such finesse. It landed on Naruto.

The blonde man stared helplessly at the bottle opening.

"Dobe," Sasuke smirked. "Kiss my ass."

There was a brief silence. Neji snorted, then Tenten laughed.

"Like hell I would, Sas-gay! I'll take that shot!"

Sasuke raised a very empty tequila bottle, with a triumphant smirk on his face.

"What the fuck! You did that on purpose, Teme!"

Sakura laughed. "Naruto, we're out of shots. You…you _actually_ have to kiss Sasuke's butt!" She threw Sasuke an amused grin, which was equally returned. She ignored how her heart rebelliously leaped. He ignored how his chest tightened a bit.

The blonde wailed "Sakura-chan, nooooo! I can't kiss Sa-_hic_-suke's sme-_hic_-lly ass!" Clearly, he was drunk.

He sluggishly got out of his sitting position and crawled his way to Sasuke. Naruto reached a hand to Sasuke's hip when the Uchiha slapped it away.

"Forget it, idiot. I would never have your nasty mouth near me. Go drag your tongue across that rug over there instead," he pointed.

"Didn't you have each other's first kisses?" Tenten piped in.

The whole room exploded in yet another bout of laughter. Even Neji chuckled. This was true. Naruto and Sasuke were childhood friends, and one mishap in their first grade class led to each other's stolen first kisses. Naruto didn't think anyone would remember this embarrassing story when he had recounted it, three years ago during a house party hosted by Ino.

The back of Sasuke's hand shot to his mouth. Naruto cringed.

"That's probably why Sasuke likes men!" Naruto resolutely commented.

He was promptly smothered by a pillow.

The night continued. Ino remembered packing another bottle of vodka (and found a half bottle of tequila wedged between her shoes in one of her suitcases) and brought them back to the circle.

Sakura was dared to hold Sasuke's hand for the next three turns. She was teetering on the brink of drunkenness when she reached for a shot glass, opting for a drink instead of honoring the dare. Sasuke promptly grabbed her left hand and mumbled, "Don't be stupid, you've had six already." He laced his fingers with hers and kept their hands like so for the next couple of turns. Sakura was too buzzed and stunned to complain. The warmth radiating from his hand anchored her as the effects of alcohol clouded her brain.

The empty green bottle was spun many times. Questions were answered, dares were given, and shots were taken. Needless to say, they all drank until everyone forgot the game they were playing.

000

Sakura slowly stirred. Was it morning? Early afternoon? She could already feel the headache before she opened her eyes. She willed her eyes to open slowly.

What greeted her promptly yanked her eyes wide open.

Sasuke's bare chest.

It took her a few seconds to process what was displayed before her eyes. She also realized how she could not move.

Firstly, her body felt like lead. Her head was throbbing, and her limbs begged to be left alone. And secondly, she was held into place by Sasuke.

She took note of their position.

They were both in bed. She vaguely remembered easing into a more comfortable position on the floor last night, after several shots of liquor. She couldn't remember if she managed to crawl herself into bed. But here she was, practically _cuddling_ with a very much asleep Sasuke.

They were facing each other, legs in a tangled mess. His right hand was _under her shirt_, set atop her ribs, just resting underneath her left breast. She stiffened when she realized where it was. It felt comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time. But it was achingly familiar. His other arm cradled her neck; a small twitch of his left hand caused her to feel the fingers tangled in her hair. She was thankful to find herself fully clothed.

It was an intimate position. She could hear Naruto's snores nearby, and deduced that he must be occupying the adjacent bed with Hinata. She hoped to the gods and goddesses of all mythologies she has ever known that Naruto wouldn't suddenly wake up and find her and Sasuke in such a position. It would be embarrassing as hell.

Because she realized that her left hand was on Sasuke's left ass cheek. It was nestled between the waistband of his pants and his ass. The ass Sakura playfully squeezed during their nights spent together.

At this point, she didn't need a mirror to tell her that her face was probably tomato red.

She quickly thought of a plan to get out of this tangled mess without waking Sasuke up. Sakura figured it would be too damn embarrassing to nudge him awake and say, "Hey, Sasuke. We're _sort of_ cuddling. Let go."

Still, she allowed herself a few more minutes to silently enjoy this position. She hasn't been this close with Sasuke for over a year, and she could bet all Naruto's ramen bowls that this will never happen again. Sakura noted his bare chest. He always liked sleeping shirtless. Years ago, she would roll her eyes at him whenever he walked around his apartment without a shirt. "It's comfortable. You should try it," he would say. She would reply with, "Ew. No, thanks. Put a shirt on, your abs have no effect on me." Which was true. The first time Sakura saw him shirtless, she commented that he looked good, but simply brushed it off. As their friendship deepened, he became more comfortable around her, enough that he'd just walk around shirtless whenever she'd drop by his apartment to hang out.

She noticed her right hand was trapped underneath his hip. _Great, he'd have to be dead not to feel my hand slide from underneath him_.

Sakura let her gaze fall back on his face. He was still asleep. And he looked so damn handsome. His bangs framed his face perfectly (when had they not?) and she took note of his long lashes. And then her eyes focused on his lips. Memories of where these lips touched her body suddenly flooded her brain.

She had to get out of this quickly before she does something she'll end up regretting.

Slowly, she slid her right hand free from his hip. She risked a glance at his face. His eyes were still closed. Encouraged by Sasuke's deep sleep, Sakura slowly untangled her legs from his. She slid her left leg, which was trapped between his legs, away from him, and followed it with her right leg, which was resting underneath both of his.

She was almost there. The only thing left was her embarrassing left hand, still clutching his ass.

She slowly dragged it out of his shorts, making sure that the waist band doesn't snap him awake.

Free, she was free. Save for Sasuke's arm cradling her neck, but that's easy. The problem was the hand on her ribs, holding her in place.

Slowly but steadily, she lifted her ass-groping left hand and laid it on his right forearm. _Easy. I just have to lift this, ease myself out, and I'm done! _She silently laughed at an angry bruise on his upper arm, glaring at her. Her punch last night _did_ make its mark!

But Sakura couldn't lift his arm.

With furrowed brows, she tried again. But it felt like gravity had doubled and permanently stuck his arm over her hip; his hand on her ribs.

She was running out of patience. Sakura figured he could wake up anytime, so she decided on just sitting up straight and letting his arm fall. If he wakes up, so what? They weren't as tangled as before, and it was _him_ cradling her. At least, she had already saved herself from shame (butt, butt, butt!).

She was getting ready to heave her body upright when she felt pressure on her ribs, holding her in place.

She sucked a breath.

His fingers twitched and ghosted all over her ribs, dangerously close to her breast.

Slowly, Sakura lifted her eyes from his forearm to his face.

He was _awake_.

Sasuke Uchiha was awake. He made no effort to untangle himself from her.

She felt trapped in his deep obsidian orbs.

And then his hand moved. It slowly trailed downwards, tracing the curve of her waist and then finally resting on her hips. His thumb rubbed small circles over pelvic bone.

Shivers ran up and down her spine. Her heart skipped too many beats that she started wondering if she should be alive. Whatever Sasuke was doing, it was sending her fuzzy mind to near-overdrive.

They were still staring at each other. For what felt like forever and a day. Were they having a staring contest amidst everything?

And then he gave her hip a small squeeze. She blinked. Before she could process anything else, he was already out of bed and into one of the bathrooms.

She heard the showers turn on.

* * *

**Hooray! Thank you for reading! Reviews are much appreciated! Maaybe 1-2 chapters left? We shall see! Hehe.**


	3. Three

**Hellooooo everyone! Oh man, this update took forever, eh? I'm super sorry :(  
Thank you so much for all the reviews! I appreciate each and every one of them, truly. You have no idea how much you motivated me. I don't believe I'll take that long with the next chapter. The story is pretty solid in my head now :) Well, without further ado, here it is!**

* * *

Sakura adjusted her white bikini top for the umpteenth time.

"Forehead, if you fondle your boobs one more time, Sasuke over there plus the whole male representatives of this beach will pass out from straining their eyes."

Mid-adjustment, the pink-haired woman gave her best friend half a glare before settling her hands back down on her lap. She deliberately ignored the comment about Sasuke. This morning, she had caught him openly staring at her chest after coming out of the hotel bathroom to change. Sakura was ready to call him a pervert when he opened his mouth and whispered, "You look cold," with his usual smirk and an amused glint in his eyes. Mortified, she mustered to give him a silent death glare before going back into the bathroom to retrieve her beach shawl.

"I am _not_ fondling my boobs! Quit it, Ino. I'm uncomfortable enough as it is." She released a sigh. "I shouldn't have bought this top…"

The blonde shrugged. "Quit playing innocent. We both know you want the ego boost. How many have we had? Four for you, three for m-oh, and here's lucky number eight. Brunette, tan, and abs, eh? I think this one's coming for me."

Sakura sighed again. They had only been at the beach for half an hour and they already had a steady stream of men lining up to buy them some drinks. It was very flattering at first (with Ino easily flirting back, to Shikamaru's _slight_ dismay), but after a while, all Sakura wanted to do was lay back, soak up the sun, sip on her mimosas, and calm her mind.

They were at the most beautiful beach in the world. Not really, but it was the best they could do in such a small amount of time. As she closed her eyes, she heard the melodious rolling of waves, birds squawking, children laughing, along with people socializing; others busy playing some beach sports. These ambient noises coupled with the perfect temperature and the salty smell of the ocean made for a perfect place to relax. At the moment, she was enjoying the sun with Ino, stretched out on beach lawn chairs.

She reached for her hip and still felt the ghost of Sasuke's grip from this morning.

She was absolutely annoyed. With herself and Sasuke. All promises she made about being nonchalant and easygoing had vanished the moment she got drunk. And somehow, she ended up cuddling with Sasuke in bed. This was the same Sasuke who essentially abandoned their friendship just a year ago. The Sasuke who so quickly dismissed her feelings by conveniently failing to keep in touch. The Sasuke who broke her heart into a billion pieces. The Sasuke she vehemently swore to stay away from. As much as she'd want to brag indifference, she was still healing deep inside. This trip turned out to be the last thing her heart needed.

A light laugh broke her reverie.

"Oh, you're such a sweetie! Why, yes. We'd like another round of mimosas! We'll be waiting for you here, but don't take long. We're very, very…thirsty."

With a wink and a flirtatious smile, Ino had successfully baited guy number eight.

Sakura suppressed a laugh. "Ino, you're having too much fun. I almost feel bad for these men."

"Hey, it's only fair to make good use of these babies." Ino lightly cupped her breasts and made a sweeping air motion from the top of her head to her toes. "The world can't blame us for being so damn beautiful," she added.

Sakura had barely finished her fourth glass of mimosa as Ino's most recent slave returned with another round. She had to admit, it was nice having a steady stream of free drinks served by handsome, shirtless, well-built men. She quirked a smile. _Alright, vacation-Sakura is finally here._

000

A brooding Sasuke stood at the bar, clutching a cold bottle of beer in his hand. He was alternating between trying to converse with a pretty brunette who decided to sidle up next to him in conversation, and stealing glances at Sakura, who was busily getting offered another drink by the hundredth idiot at the beach.

Sasuke downed his drink in several gulps before ordering for another one. As he waited for his next beer, he let his mind wander for a bit.

He wasn't expecting to see her at the dock, the night before. True, he planned on meeting up with Naruto and possibly surprising everyone else later on that night, but he certainly was shocked to run into Sakura at his favorite spot. At first he took note of her cool demeanor. It almost seemed like nothing happened between them; that she didn't confess her feelings and that he didn't make his absence so swift and deliberate. But he realized that Sakura was _too_ cool. She projected an air of nonchalance that almost, just almost, unsettled him. And then she eventually warmed up, with the help of alcohol (though he'd never thank Naruto for pulling everyone into such an absurd game).

Sasuke wanted to talk to Sakura. About everything. About things that were left unsaid. This morning, he woke up to a pleasant surprise. Naruto's snoring from the adjacent bed reminded him to stay grounded. Had he and Sakura been in a private room by themselves, he would have handled the situation differently. With a promise of a warmer Sakura, he left the bed to collect his thoughts and calm his body.

But the rest of the morning consisted of an ice-cold Sakura. Her tone was tepid, her gaze blank. At least when directed at him. He was irked to find her joking around with Naruto and discussing academic matters with Shikamaru. The most he received was a colorless G_ood Morning_. Sasuke almost wanted to corner her into a closet and hold her hostage until they settle out the matters between them.

And there's also her swimsuit. His mind went blank the minute she walked out of the bathroom with that white bikini. He wasn't expecting such boldness from Sakura, but there she was with her tiny bikini top, looking up at him with those green irises. He must have said something witty or funny, he can't remember now, but the light viridian sparkle in her eyes deliberately turned into burning green embers as she glared and left him staring at her ass. He almost laughed. In the course of their friendship, Sasuke had seen her in swimsuits plenty of times and thought none of it. Until that fateful night they spent together. Everything changed after that.

"-suke? Sasuke? Helllooo?"

He tore his eyes away from Sakura, who was happily smiling into her thousandth drink. He focused his eyes back on the brunette who was holding and lightly stroking her beer bottle in a way that made the guy behind her gulp. He noticed that the bartender had placed a new beer on his coaster.

"Hn?"

"I was asking about your plans tonight," said the girl. She whipped her head to the direction where Sasuke was just staring and raised a brow. "You know those girls?"

"Going to that club with the lightshows," he paused, then, "Yeah, they're friends." He took a swig of his beer.

"Oh, to Wave? I love the ambiance there," she commented. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ears. "I'm also thinking about going with some of my friends. I'll introduce them to yours. They'll _love_ your friends," she added, motioning her head towards Ino and Sakura.

She was met with silence.

"Unless one of them is your girlfriend? Or…both of them are?" The girl tentatively added.

Sasuke spared a glance at the duo again and was surprised that Sakura's cool gaze was on him. He returned his attention back to the brunette and displayed his signature smirk.

"I'm single," he murmured, as he leaned closer to the girl.

"O-oh," the brunette stammered. "That's a relief." Her face had gone a few shades warmer.

000

The lightshow was breathtaking. Vivid hues of blue and gold dashed in and out of Club Wave's interior. On one spacious section, the walls vibrated with every beat dropped by the alternating synthpop and top 40 music played by the DJ. Groups and couples intermingled with each other as they danced, waving their choice of drinks up in the air. It was an electrifying ambiance that encouraged everyone to let loose and enjoy each other's company. The other half of the club served as a lounge, containing two huge bars, with the same top 40 tunes mixed with rock and rap music playing in the background. People who opted to cool down from the dancing grabbed a few tables here to rest their legs and enjoy a drink or two with their friends.

With the perfect women-men ratio (in addition to Ino's sugary words) the group had managed to bypass the long line at club's entrance and was upgraded to VIP, where they had their own table and bottle service at the 'dance' section. Naruto whooped and hollered his way through the crowd, while securely tugging his blushing girlfriend along.

For the first hour, shots were poured, drinks were drunk, and the dance floor was explored. Everyone was having a great time. As Sakura returned to their table with Ino, she noticed that their friends were joined by two other people.

"Sasuke! I'm so glad you came! And you got a table too! I know I said I'd bring friends, but not all of them could make it!"

A brunette dressed in a short and white tube dress paired with strappy silver heels was currently attached to Sasuke's front. Several times, he had to put his arms around her waist to stop her from falling backwards. The girl was busily fussing over Sasuke until she saw Ino and Sakura arrive at the table. She took note of how Ino sat down to cuddle with the man with pierced ears and deduced that they were involved. She returned her gaze to Sakura, who was busily pouring herself a drink by the table.

She briefly let go of Sasuke's shoulders and opted to hold onto his hand as she surged to the table and greeted Sakura.

"Hi! My friend over there," she pointed at a blonde man standing a few feet away from Sasuke, "thinks you're hot."

The aforementioned man coughed into his drink a few times before lifting his semi-embarrassed eyes to Sakura and the friend he came with. "Hey," he said, after downing what remained of his drink.

"Hi," Sakura said, a bit taken aback by the girl's suddenly random introduction. "Would you like something to drink?"

Satisfied, the brunette girl returned her attention to Sasuke and pulled him to the dance floor, leaving Sakura with her friend.

000

As Sasuke was being dragged away, he discreetly turned his head to glance at Sakura. She was smiling brightly as she extended a drink to the blonde man.

000

The blonde walked up to Sakura to accept the drink she mixed for him. "Thanks," he said.

"You better like it; it's my specialty," she returned.

"Really? Then I better try it." He took a long sip and almost sputtered. "Holy shit, this is strong," he grimaced.

Sakura tried to maintain a straight face before breaking out in a laugh. "O-oh," she giggled. "I'm so _so_ sorry! Haha. I'm actually terrible with drinks!" She grabbed the glass he was clutching and tried some of the drink herself. After coughing for several seconds, she managed to say, "Well, shit. That _is_ strong! But you ought to drink it anyway. Man up!"

The blonde took the glass from her and downed the contents in one go. Sakura laughed some more as she heard him groan out a reaction to the drink. _He's not too bad_, she thought.

He smiled at her. After quickly glancing at the dance floor, he ducked his head closer to Sakura's and said, "Have you been to the lounge? It's more laid back."

She returned his smile. "Oh? Then let's go. Maybe I can get you a drink mixed by an actual professional."

The man placed his hand lightly on her lower back and guided her through the crowd and into the lounge next door. As they crossed the dance floor, they passed by Sasuke and his dance partner, who were flushed from chest to toe.

Sakura thought she felt the hand on her lower back twitch a little.

000

Settled into a comfortable booth at the lounge, Sakura held onto her martini as she smiled at the man sitting across from her. He was a handsome man, with short, soft-looking, messy blonde locks that made him appear playful. He had a strong almost-aristocratic face and vibrant green eyes that dazzled when he smiled. Physically, he seemed to have an athletic build, and he filled his white polo and black pants very nicely. A solid, good-looking, funny man. _Not bad at all, Sakura_, she thought to herself again.

He looked both relaxed and conflicted at the same time, which didn't make any sense to her. She lifted an elegant pink brow.

"There's no pressure, you know. I enjoy a good conversation and," she lifted the martini to her lips for a sip or two before settling it back down, "a professionally mixed drink."

At this, the man smiled and took a sip of his own drink. He slowly replaced it on his coaster and stared at Sakura long and hard. "You're very beautiful," he commented.

Sakura smiled and glanced at her simple, black, body-fitting dress with off-the-shoulder short sleeves. Further down, she spied the rhinestones sparkling from the back of her black pumps. She returned her attention back to her companion and said, "Thank you." A beat had passed, then she added, "But that sounded like it should be followed with a _but_. So, what's the _but_?"

He hesitated for a moment or two before opening his mouth…and then closing it again. Sakura gave him her most reassuring smile.

He found it disarming and his shoulders sagged a bit. "You're beautiful. Very beautiful. Hot. And damn funny. And I'm glad you're having drinks with me here, but…"

She lifted her brows in askance and reached for a sip of her drink. "But…?"

"But I'm in love with the girl your friend is currently dancing with," he finished.

She sputtered.

Sakura found him next to her in a few seconds, rubbing circles on her back and offering her a napkin. "Wrong hole?" he asked.

She coughed a little before nodding in agreement.

"I didn't think that was enough of a statement to make someone choke on their drink," he replied.

After dabbing on her lips with the napkin, she reassured him that she was alright, and he finally stood up and settled back on his side.

"I just found your statement interesting, that's all," she said. "Now, I happen to be in the mood for some story telling."

He seemed perplexed by her comment.

"You can start with_ Once Upon a Time._"

000

"And that's that," the man said.

"That's that? _That's that?_ What the hell are you doing here with me," Sakura returned, "when the girl you've been in love with for years is dancing in there," she gestured towards opposite side of the club, "with the biggest asshole in the world?"

His eyes bulged out. "Asshole? He's an asshole? What's he going to do with her?" His arms flexed as he downed his drink and quickly stood up.

_What was in that drink? Shots of adrenaline and testosterone?_ She followed his train of thought and felt guilty all of a sudden.

"Wait. No. He's not an asshole. I mean, he's a good guy. Sometimes. But right now he's Mr. Asshole for dancing with your girl."

"She's not _my_ girl," he commented, deflating all of a sudden as he sat back down.

She sighed. Of all the guys she had to meet, why this one, who happened to be in the same predicament she was in for the longest time? She almost wanted to sit next to this man, hug him, and admit that she can sympathize with his feelings.

Instead, she stood up, reached for his hand and headed to the bar. She ordered shots for them before dragging him next door.

000

Sasuke was ready to go back to the table but the girl kept insisting on dancing with him. They had replenished their drinks at least three times, and he wondered how the hell girls can last all night long dancing in heels.

He was about to drag her back to the table when he caught a glimpse of pink.

"Oh? There they are! They look like they're having a good time! We should join them!" the girl commented.

Sure enough, Sakura's head was tilted back, laughing at whatever the blonde man had said. His hands were secure on her hips. Her arms were circled around his shoulders and they were dancing a little too close. And a little too slow. Sasuke found his chest tighten all of a sudden. The blare of the music coupled with the sounds of people hooting and hollering started to give him a headache.

And then there was silence.

The moment Sakura placed her hand on the guy's neck to guide his head to hers, Sasuke's world spiraled into complete silence. He stood there as he watched Sakura lock lips with the blonde, pushing her body up to his until they were flush from lips to toes.

A slow-burning fury built up in his system and he suddenly found himself lurching forward towards the couple. He was ready to tear them apart until he realized someone had already beaten him to it. The brunette he was dancing with was all of a sudden clutching onto the blonde, yelling _You can't!_ at him. He switched his gaze to Sakura and found her eyeing the two friends in close scrutiny. Finally, the brunette turned to Sasuke and hastily said, "Thanks for the dance," before dragging her friend away.

He heard a tired sigh from Sakura as they both watched the pair exit the club. A small smile graced her lips. Finally, she turned her head to Sasuke. Despite the odd couple finally gone, he still felt vexed. He lifted his hand to reach for Sakura but she dodged away. "What?" she said irritably, before turning away and walking back to their VIP table. His frown deepened as he followed her.

000

"Sakura! You're back! I could have sworn you left with that hunky blonde a while back! Where the hell is he? If you don't want him, I sure won't mind taking him-" a pause. "Away from this group! Because he's _so_ not my type!" Ino rambled, after a silencing stare from Shikamaru. She batted her lashes at him before giving him a big kiss—lip gloss and all—on his lips.

As Shikamaru busied himself with wiping away the sticky substance from his mouth (he quit halfway and declared it troublesome when Ino reinforced it with more kisses), Sakura reached for a bottle of wine to pour herself a drink.

"He needed to take care of something. But he was such a nice gu—hey!" Her reply was cut off as Sasuke stole the drink from her. "What the hell, Sasuke!"

"You've had enough. And you're coming with me," said Sasuke, as he set the glass back down with one hand, and gripped her arm with the other.

"You need someone to hold your hair in the bathroom before you throw up?" Sakura quipped.

She was met with a brief silence. And then Naruto erupted in laughter. They both turned their heads to their raucous blonde friend and found him at the far end of the table, nursing a drink and cuddling close to a nearly-fainting Hinata. Sasuke scoffed before tugging on her arm with a little force.

"Again, what the hell, Sasuke?" she reiterated.

"Come with me."

"No."

"Sakura," he almost growled.

"What the hell is your problem? I was minding my own business and then you—hey!" He tugged at her arm once more and she stumbled onto his chest. His right arm came around her shoulders to steady her.

"What the fuck," she mumbled. Sasuke knew that with enough alcohol in her system, Sakura's vocabulary gets boldly colorful. He found this out the hard way when he suggested carrying her one night after a party, three years ago. One of her high heels broke and she cursed like a pirate as she maneuvered through the wet pavements of a random apartment complex. He merely wanted to joke about her weight (she weighed like nothing), but she took it the hard way. She was apparently ruthless when drunk, with a ridiculously good memory to boot. In the twenty minutes of Sasuke carrying a drunk Sakura, she had cursed her way from A to Z, firstly at Sasuke for poking fun at her weight, then to the supermodels of lingerie catalogs who had absolutely flat stomachs, and eventually to an old elementary classmate who commented that _her forehead must have weighed a ton and a half_. He listened to all her ramblings and remembered how her soft pink hair spilled onto his neck, and how she smelled of lavender and vanilla.

He caught a whiff of the same scent as Sakura pushed away from his chest.

"Sakura," Ino interfered. "Go with him."

The roseate looked bewildered. "What?"

"You owe me," replied her best friend.

"Owe you what, Pig?" She seemed truly confused. A few seconds had passed before Sasuke saw Sakura's face twist in realization.

The blonde merely nodded in agreement. "This trip was pushed back because of you. You owed me a favor and now I'm telling you to go with Sasuke. You two need to settle some matters. Alone."

"How the hell is that a favor?!" Sakura almost yelled in irritation.

"Dammit, just go, Forehead!" came Ino's almost shrilly reply.

"Hey, hey, girls. Let's not," came Tenten's voice. "Sakura…?" She looked at Sakura and seemed to want to say _Do it_.

Sasuke heard Sakura mumble _shit_ before reaching for her wine, closing her eyes, and downing it all in one go. She grimaced before opening her eyes. He searched her green orbs and saw glimpses of shock, anger, horror, and sadness. All in a span of a few seconds.

He finally approached her again and slid his arm around her waist. She stiffened then relaxed. And then he brought her in for a quick hug before ducking his head down next to her ear and whispered, "Let's go," in a soothing tone. When she didn't budge, Sasuke held her tighter and ran his hand up and down her spine. He pressed his lips to her ear and mumbled, "Sakura, please…"

Wordlessly, Sakura bobbed her head up then down in response. She stepped away from Sasuke and allowed him to take her hand and lead her away.

* * *

**Whew! What did you think of it? I suuuure hope you liked it! As usual, I'd appreciate your input :) Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read this!  
**


	4. Four

**Hi everyone. Here's the next chapter! Thanks to everyone who reviewed the previous ones!**

* * *

The deafening music blared through Sakura's core. The heavy mix of various beats and constant change of rhythms and tempos oddly provided the exact soundtrack to what was going on in her tumultuous mind. As Sasuke led her away from their friends, pushing through throngs of bodies in the crowd, Sakura kept a trained gaze on their entwined hands.

While it is true that they had both participated in something infinitely more intimate than holding hands, she simply found this gesture…weird.

Sasuke quickly loosened his grip on her hand—she didn't realize how firm his grasp was—before letting go of it completely so that he could slide his arm around her waist. The music blared loudly in crescendo as her heart thrummed what seemed to be hundreds of beats in mere seconds. He was now holding her close as they approached the door, which was blocked by groups and groups of people who were either leaving, entering, or getting escorted out of the club. Sasuke brought her closer as one drunken woman stumbled too close for comfort with her absurdly high stilettos. Before Sakura could fully comprehend what was unfolding, his warm breath was already at her ear as he murmured, "Watch out." She didn't think he could get _any_ closer, but he did, and the proximity almost unnerved her. Glancing back at the woman who stumbled onto another equally drunken woman, thus causing what Naruto would call _'bitch fight'_, she was glad to have been whisked out of the way. Those thin heels would have definitely hurt like _hell_, had they landed on either of Sakura's feet. With a few more pushes (more like graceful Sasuke-shoves), they have finally managed to cross the exit.

The cool, salty breeze of air combined with cigarette smoke and wet asphalt greeted them outside. As they walked farther away from the door and towards the parking lot, Sakura had finally remembered to breathe.

She inhaled.

Exhaled.

And did so for a few moments. Slowly, her nerves started to settle. She inhaled once more, and picked out something familiar that stood out amongst the mixed odors in the air. It was masculine, spicy, and warm. Briefly, she wondered how one could smell warmth, but then the slight twitch of fingers around her waist quickly provided an explanation. She gave an unsteady exhale.

_Oh._ Sasuke.

Somewhere during the process of fighting their way out of the club, Sakura desperately tried to sort out the buzzing in her brain. But couldn't.

She came to a stop and took a few steps away from him, who tilted his head in question. His eyes were so rich, dark, and intense that she immediately felt being pulled in. She managed to stand ground.

"I can walk by myself," she said quietly.

She was met with a silent gaze.

_I can walk by myself, you jerk,_ she reiterated silently as she broke eye contact. Slowly, she lifted her head to the sky and marveled at the view. The moon was pale and the stars were twinkling. She thought about how the dock would have provided her a more spectacular view, with the bonus of an escape route. But of course, she wouldn't jump into the water just to escape Sasuke, would she? She kept her gaze skywards as she felt the detested sting behind her eyes.

Sakura could not handle Sasuke's proximity. A slight touch of his hand felt like a punch to the heart. She couldn't describe the unbearable pain when he held her hand in his, slid his arm around her waist, and heavens be damned, his lips near her ear. It was all too much for her. What's more, the pain she felt warred with comfort. Each touch from him made her want to push away and pull closer. At the same time. She's nearly losing her mind over something that is probably trivial to him.

She was both puzzled and startled by Sasuke's odd affectionate gestures. _Not like this,_ she thought. Not when these gestures meant something to her, yet nothing to him. Sakura didn't want _this_ from this man. She was still trying to piece together the shattered pieces of her heart—as cliché and sad and pathetic as it sounds—only to get caught off-guard. She had been trying to calm her nerves at the thought of Sasuke being in the same vicinity—same city, same beach, same hotel, same suite—but she wasn't prepared for him to be _this_ close.

She willed her tears back as she fixed her gaze on a particular star. She doesn't want Sasuke to be this close, because she'll miss the warmth once it's gone. It happened once already, and she realized that hot cups of coffee and tea couldn't replace it. The warmth Sasuke brought and hurriedly yanked away was the kind of warmth that enveloped her very soul. Why she allowed him to bury so deep into her heart, she'll never know. Although the word _foolishness_ had crossed her mind plenty of times whenever she thought about it.

An unfamiliar voice halted her musings.

"Hey honey, if you don't want to go with him, you can come with me."

Sakura took a deep breath and blinked back what threatened to spill. She brought her head down and found the source of the raspy voice. It was a sleazy looking man giving her an equally sleazy stare. His thumb was jutted towards Sasuke.

The situation registered in her mind quickly. She shook her head, opened her lips, and said, "You're an idiot," followed by a sigh. She switched her attention to Sasuke, who was clenching a fist while shooting an irritated glare at the stranger.

The man cackled. "Well shit, sweetheart! Your rude mouth is turning me on! I wonder what else it can do…" She narrowed her eyes as the man approached her slowly.

Before anything else could happen, Sakura rolled her eyes and mumbled, "I lose again."

The man stopped mid-step. "What?"

"Nothing. Go away," she answered as she briskly walked to Sasuke and took hold of his clenched hand. She was _definitely_ not in the mood for any unnecessary commotions. She pulled on Sasuke's hand with some force. After a moment, his stance slightly relaxed, but he kept his head turned towards the lecherous man. A few more seconds had passed before his fist finally opened and she felt him thread his fingers with hers. He slowly turned his head towards her and gave her hand a small squeeze. Another jolt of pain. Another skipped heart beat. "Okay," he whispered, with a gentle look in his eyes.

They started walking away when the idiotic man called after them.

"Bitch. That little boy can never do what I'd do to that tight, _tight_ ass."

She felt the grasp on her hand loosen, but Sakura had enough sense to throw her arm across Sasuke's front to keep him in place. He was about to turn around, his head _again_ whipped to where the man was standing. Knowing his temper, Sakura had no doubt something horrible would ensue if she didn't do anything about it.

"Sasuke," she chided. "It's a waste of time. Let's go."

When he didn't turn his head back her way, Sakura looped her other arm around his back, encircling him in a loose hug. "Come on," she added. When he still didn't move, she stepped closer and tightened her hold. She was ready to just yank him away; this position was starting to take a toll on her. At least her rib cage kept her heart in place.

Sasuke finally turned his head, and she found his black orbs staring down at her, searching. Sakura hoped he didn't see anything, but he must have gathered something because she felt him give an exasperated exhale. She wasn't sure what he saw, but she felt defenseless all of a sudden. He always had a way of reading her emotions. Momentarily, she felt tired. She closed her eyes and briefly set her forehead on his chest.

She almost wanted to laugh. A moment ago, all she wanted to do was to get away from Sasuke's touch. She couldn't handle him being so close to her as feelings roiled within her chest.

Her brows puckered in conflict. She was annoyed at her heart for skipping beats. She was irritated that while this pained her, she wanted to do it more. She wanted to keep him there. She wanted to lift her head up so she could stare at his depthless obsidian eyes longer.

She felt betrayed by her heart, because as much as she wanted to only recognize pain, there was also comfort. The comfort of Sasuke being close, and the familiarity of it all. She was annoyed at how her feelings reacted to his warmth. And most of all, she was annoyed at Sasuke. It wasn't even a contest, yet she felt like a loser. It only took moments for her to be by his side. And he didn't even have to do a damn thing!

She counted three seconds before slowly removing her arms. Refusing to meet his gaze, she cleared her throat and directed her attention to the parking lot.

Forgetting about the stranger who was now throwing random insults at everyone who passed by, Sasuke and Sakura made the slow trek to his car. This time, she made sure to keep a constant distance between them.

She told herself over and over again that she didn't need the warmth, as she crossed her arms and slowly rubbed her arms.

000

The car ride was eerily quiet.

Sasuke glanced at her again. There was no change. She was stock still; brows relaxed as green eyes followed buildings, signs, and people in a dazed manner. He knows her attention is someplace else. He ran a hand through his hair as his eyes returned to the road.

Truthfully, he didn't have anything planned. He simply wanted to talk to Sakura. About anything and everything. As friends, they always had good conversations about anything—from their opinions on various movies, to their future aspirations in life. But both lacked communication skills once the subject involved the two of them. He understands that a conversation about what happened between them has been long overdue. They owe each other that.

A small beeping noise reverberated around the car as he pulled to stop at a red light.

He found her smiling at a text message. She bit her bottom lip as she typed a reply.

Sasuke wasn't sure why this simple action annoyed him. He had an inkling that the message didn't come from any of their friends. His eyes narrowed as she gently pressed the phone to her chest, cradling it in a hug. She had the softest look in her eyes. And then she turned her head to him.

His eyes darted to her moving lips. "Green," she said. He heard the word, but it didn't register.

A honk from a car behind jolted his attention.

"It's green, Sasuke."

He tore his eyes away from her face and found the gas pedal.

000

_This is it,_ she thought. Ino said she had to settle some matters with Sasuke. And here she was, in his car, on their way back to his place. So they could talk.

The closure she needed was only a few minutes away.

They will talk like adults. She will tell him how big of an asshole he was for leaving without talking to her about everything. Yes, they will talk. And then she will leave. They will part ways. Sasuke didn't seem to need any sort of closure, with the way he disappeared and all, but damn it all, she needed _her_ closure. At least, after this night, she will never wonder about endless _what-if's_ anymore. It will be difficult as hell, but this is exactly what she needed.

And hell no, Sasuke's affectionate gestures will _not_ affect her judgment at all. She didn't care that he looked so damn goo—

Her phone beeped.

_I guess there's a 'Happily Ever After' after all._

The text message made Sakura happy. It seemed that her little stunt at the club got the ball rolling for her new friend. She bit her lip and typed _Show her what she's been missing out on!_

She thought about her decision. She could have done something else other than the kiss, but what the hell. It worked, and the blonde wasn't a bad kisser at all. She silently wished them well wishes as she hugged her phone. At least they'll have their happily ever after.

Green light spilled into the car. Sensing that they haven't moved, she glanced at Sasuke and wondered why he looked so tense. She mumbled, "Green".

The car stayed still and his eyes remained on her.

A honk from behind prompted her to try again. "It's green, Sasuke."

The car finally moved.

000

After a few minutes, she felt the car slow down to a stop. She looked outside her window and saw one of those 24/7 stores.

"I'll be right back," Sasuke said.

He got out of the car and took brisk steps towards the little market. A few minutes later, he was back in the vehicle. He tossed a paper bag into the back seat.

She raised a brow. "Are we almost there?"

"Aa," he answered as he pulled away from the parking lot.

000

They arrived at his place a few minutes after.

Modern-style condo with everything modern within. As expected from Sasuke.

He padded to the kitchen the moment they entered. Sakura removed her shoes and followed him. It felt nice to finally take off her pumps, and Sasuke's cool flooring soothed her soles. It'll only last for a few minutes though; her feet can get awfully cold quickly. Still, she decided against wearing her shoes around.

She found him reaching into one of the cupboards.

"Tea?"

"Sure," she nodded

He turned around with two packets of green tea. "I only have instant."

"That's fine," she answered as she placed her phone down on the island table and settled onto one of the bar-style stools, across from him.

Sasuke filled two mugs with water and stuck them in the microwave. He programmed it for two minutes then turned around, his deep, inquisitive gaze on her.

Her fingers idly tapped on the countertop as her eyes took in the surroundings. "Nice place."

"Aa."

Seconds passed.

"That couch looks comfy."

"It is."

Another set of seconds.

She slid off the bar stool. "I'm going to look around."

"Aa."

And she did. She found the pristine bathroom, the bedroom decked in dark hues, the walk-in closet filled with everything that smelled of him, and the living room with complete high-tech entertainment system. As always, everything was neat and organized. Very Sasuke-like. He always fixed his bed, and his books were always arranged neatly in a bookshelf.

She returned to the kitchen and found Sasuke dipping tea bags into the mugs. She leaned her elbows on the countertop and watched the steam rise from the liquid surfaces. They watched the mugs, one white and one black, in silence.

After a few minutes, Sasuke removed the tea bags and tossed them into the trash bin under the sink. He grabbed two spoons from a drawer and dropped one into each mug. Sakura reached for the white one and started swirling the spoon around. She loved the feel of the warm ceramic within her hands. She was about to take a sip when Sasuke interrupted. "Wait."

He reached for the paper bag he brought in earlier, the one from the store, and grabbed what was inside.

Sakura lifted a brow.

He leaned over the counter top to squeeze some honey into her mug.

When he was done, Sakura swirled the spoon again. He walked to one of the cupboards and stored the bottle of honey. It will probably go untouched after tonight's use. He returned to his cup and swirled his spoon.

She took a sip of her tea and judged that it had the perfect amount of sweetness.

Her chest constricted.

"You know, I'm perfectly fine with drinking tea sans honey," she suggested.

He kept his attention on his tea and managed a "Hn." Of course, she understood this particular _hn_ meant _Yeah, right._

She shrugged. "A lot can change in a year."

He stiffened as he lifted his eyes to meet hers. She gave a soft smile before picking up her mug and crossing over to the living room. She settled on the black leather couch.

"It _is_ comfortable," she murmured as she sat with her feet pulled up. Her toes were definitely cold now.

He picked up his tea and disappeared into the bedroom. He returned in a few seconds and threw something at her.

She caught a pair of socks.

Her brows arched. "What are these for?"

He settled down on the couch and gave her a pointed look. "For your ears."

She rolled her eyes and pulled his socks on. They were warm and comfortable. "Thank you."

He nodded his head in acknowledgement.

Sakura reached for the remote sitting on a table next to the couch. She pointed it at the large plasma TV in front of them and started surfing channels.

Broken dialogues from movies, sitcoms, and commercials filled the room.

"How is school?"

She nearly dropped the remote at the sound of his voice. Her thumb paused from flipping channels and she quickly glanced at him.

"It's great. Working on projects and trying to see if I can get this trainee position."

He nodded his head slightly. "Sounds good."

She returned her attention back to the TV and resumed channel surfing. She was surprised that he asked. It seems that a conversation was possible. _It has to start somewhere_, she figured.

"How's work?" she finally asked.

He took a sip of his tea before replying. "Busy. Multiple ventures and proposals at the same time. I travel two to three times monthly."

She kept her thumb on the remote. Flipping through channels was better than finger-twiddling. "Busy sounds good. Are you happy with everything?"

He set his mug down on the coffee table then shrugged. "More or less."

She smiled. "Which means you're still thinking about architecture, joining the police force, or _please_ no, cage fighting?" Her body relaxed a little. She decided to forgo the nonchalant route. Besides, monosyllabic answers were never her thing. It was starting to feel like their old conversations.

He looked at her and laughed.

God, she missed that.

"All are viable options. Cage fighting included."

She shook her head in amusement.

"And what abo—" Her inquiry was cut short when he reached out for her hand that held the remote. He slid this thumb over hers and nudged it to press the _down_ button twice. The TV displayed an old film.

Her eyes widened. "Wait, Sasuke! Isn't this that one movie…?"

"Aa. We watched it on your laptop."

"We did! In my dorm room during freshman year! Oh my gosh, I haven't seen this since then!"

They watched a few minutes in silence, his hand covering hers. When a funny scene took place, Sakura allowed herself to laugh wholeheartedly.

His hand tightened around hers before retrieving the remote.

Her laughter gradually died down and her head rested on the couch. "Oh wow. I did _not _catch that line the first time around," she mused.

000

He watched her shoulders slump in relaxation as he placed the remote on the coffee table.

It was like they were never apart. She was still quick at dissecting his sentences to pinpoint what he really meant to say. Their conversation flowed back and forth. On current events, movies, friends, family, and new technology. He found himself throwing witty remarks, which made Sakura roll her eyes like always. As he listened to the familiar tone of her voice, he found himself wondering about what the hell happened to them.

"…and so Hinata ended up asking Naruto out on a date." she laughed. "He's _so_ painfully dense, it's ridiculous."

A beeping noise caught both their attention.

"Oh, that's my phone. I left it in the kitchen."

Suddenly, two scenes popped in Sasuke's head: Sakura kissing the blonde man in the club and Sakura smiling at a text message. His hands clenched.

As she lifted her legs off the couch, he found himself grabbing for her.

Her hands settled on his shoulders as his arms came around her waist. He found her startled green eyes as they ended up in the awkward position of her straddling his lap.

Her phone beeped again. And the scene of her body flushed against that idiot's fluttered in his brain.

She opened her lips. "Sasuke?" It came so softly. "My phone..." She seemed to hesitate before he felt her hands release his shoulders.

He pulled her into a hug and settled his head on the junction of her neck and shoulder. "Don't," he whispered.

She stiffened. After a few seconds, he felt her hands settle on his shoulders and slide down his back. She released a sigh.

Vanilla and lavender filled his senses and he reveled in her warmth. He angled his head and his lips found her skin. She sucked a breath.

Encouraged, he did it again as he ran his fingers up and down her spine. Her body arched. He allowed himself to give an open-mouthed kiss on the same spot.

"Sasuke…" she almost groaned. He sucked on the skin.

Her hold on him tightened.

"W-what are you doing?" she breathed out.

He smiled into her neck. "Giving you a bruise."

She twitched. "A what?"

"A bruise," he repeated. "To match the one on my arm."

Her hold loosened for a moment before her hands moved to his hair. Her fingers slowly raked his scalp. She let out a breathy laugh.

"It was a dare," she whispered into his ear. "Guess I didn't know my own strength," she added in an amused voice.

He kissed her neck once more before settling his forehead on her shoulder.

They remained like so for a while. His hands drew small circles on her back; her fingers played with his hair.

Sasuke closed his eyes and relaxed. Hundreds of memories flashed his mind, all amounting to one sentence:

"I missed you."

000

Her eyes flew open.

_I missed you._

The sentence bounced around in her head. It looped over and over again.

_I missed you._

_I missed you._

_I missed you._

A small pressure bloomed in her chest. It quickly expanded until the air in her lungs was displaced. She felt the familiar sting behind her eyes.

Sakura quickly pushed away from Sasuke. She felt herself slipping backwards as her sock-clad feet touched the ground at an awkward angle. His hands shot out to steady her.

As soon as she regained her balance, she shook her arms free of his hold. His hands fell back to his lap.

A look of disbelief filled her eyes. Feelings of shock, anger, resentment, sadness, and regret bubbled to the surface.

"What…what do you want from me, Sasuke?" she managed to say.

He reached out for her again but she lifted her hands, palms up, in defense.

"Tell me, what exactly do you want from me?" she reiterated.

"What are you—"

"Are you feeling lonely? Did you randomly feel like talking to someone? How drunk are you? Are you horny? Are you bored?" she rattled. "How bored are you?"

"Sakura, hold on—"

"You missed me?" She gave a humorless laugh. "You can't just throw that at me, Sasuke."

This time, he didn't open his mouth.

"You could have fixed that. You could have called. You could have texted. You could have said _Hi_," she said loudly. "You could have said _Merry Christmas_…or _Happy Birthday_," she added. "You could have visited. There were so many things you could have done."

She bit her lip and willed her tears back. She was just getting started. She can't cry. At least not yet. Taking a deep breath, she approached the couch and sat back down, as far away from him as she could. She shook her head.

"You didn't even say goodbye," she added softly, and waited for his response.

Nothing.

Her heart broke into a million more pieces.

She cleared her throat. "That night…when I told you I liked you…it was a lie."

His brows puckered.

"Sasuke, I was in love with you."

She bit her lip again. "In retrospect, I probably shouldn't have said anything to you at all, because look at what happened. I…when I told you I liked you, I wasn't expecting anything. I didn't expect you to say the same words to me. I wasn't foolish enough to hope that you felt the same way. Because I knew you still had feelings for someone else. I only wanted to let you know, because you were leaving. That's all."

He reached for her yet again but she shook her head quickly. His hand fell away.

"I did it because I didn't want you to leave without knowing about how I felt. But it was _such_ a mistake, because look at where we are now." Her hand clenched the hem of her dress. "Why did you do it? Why did you disappear on me? Don't you dare tell me that you were trying to protect my feelings. Because that's bullshit. Don't tell me that you did it so my feelings could fade. Because that's such a rotten excuse. You know how tough I am, Sasuke. I can handle almost anything."

He was silent.

"But I didn't know how to handle your silence." Her chest constricted. "For months, I thought that those were your reasons. I went along with them. I didn't pick up the phone whenever something interesting happened and I had the urge to tell you about it. But sometimes, I broke down. I texted you to say _hi_ but then immediately regretted the decision. Because your replies were always so curt. And that was so harsh.

Eventually, it felt like you just didn't care anymore. And that thought hurt _even more._ Because you know what, you jerk? Beyond everything—past romantic feelings and whatnot—was our friendship. Before everything else, we were friends. For five damn years, Sasuke. You were there when I got dumped. You offered me a place to stay when I needed one. You were there when I rode the wrong bus route and ended up in God-knows-where! You were there plenty of times. You were always there. And…damn it!" She swiped a tear that fell. "I always had a soft spot for you. I loved keeping you company during your aimless drives at night. I laughed at your stupid, witty remarks. I ate your damn tomato pizza. I enjoyed our conversations about anything and everything. Our friendship was so natural. Everything was so easy."

She pressed a hand on her chest. "I didn't plan to fall in love with you. But I did. By the time I realized my feelings, you were already falling for someone else. And you know I hate clichés. I didn't think I would suddenly find myself in the _friends falling for friends_ category. It was heartwrenching. So I tried so hard to erase my feelings. But couldn't. I decided to tamp everything down and just be there for you as a friend. And I thought it worked. After a while, it felt like my feelings faded. But then _that_ happened."

Her other hand rubbed a temple. "Of course, that just complicated everything. What's worse, we didn't even talk about it at all. It just happened. Again. And again. And again! And I wished it meant nothing to me too, Sasuke." She huffed. "I tried to tell myself that it meant nothing. Which was very stupid. We didn't deal with it properly and before I knew it, you were already moving.

And then you just…cut me out of your life. Just like that."

She stood up. "Beyond everything, Sasuke. Beyond feelings and mistakes and sex, was our friendship. And I just can't understand how easy it was for you to throw it away. More than anything, I just miss your friendship. I accepted the fact that you couldn't return any romantic feelings; I knew that the moment I realized what I felt for you. It was painful, but I cherished you as a friend too damn much.

Our friendship took a different turn when we slept together. And as much as I didn't want to, because you're so damn good in bed—shit, that slipped out—I regretted everything. Because the whole stupid thing threw our friendship into ruins.

For the past year or so, I felt foolish. Because I was holding onto a faded friendship. I worried about someone who probably didn't even spare a second to think about me. I thought about how you were getting along with your family. How you were liking your new job. How fun you must have exploring the city. I thought about my friend."

She laughed. "I felt so stupid, trying to think of the reasons why you acted this way. And then I just felt tired. But somehow, I couldn't let it rest. I guess I should be glad for this trip. Even though you nearly gave me a heart attack when I saw you at the dock…I knew that I had to see you one last time. _Talk_ to you one last time. Because even though you don't care anymore, I needed closure. I need to be able to say goodbye."

She laid a hand on the coffee table and leaned down to remove her—his socks. She placed them on the couch. Her toes wriggled on the cold floor.

"It hurt when I realized that you couldn't return my feelings. But it hurt even more when I realized that you disregarded our friendship so easily."

He was still sitting on the couch. His mouth was set on a grim line and she couldn't read his dark gaze. She took a deep breath and walked to the kitchen to retrieve her phone.

She walked back a moment later to find him in the same position. She shook her head and smiled sadly.

"I aired out my feelings and you just sat there. Do you have anything to say at all?"

His silence blared through the whole condo and deafened her ears.

She sighed. "Alright. I guess this is it then." She walked towards the door and put on her shoes.

Sakura fixed a gaze on the twin dark orbs that arrested her very soul. Her eyes roamed his achingly handsome face once last time.

"Good bye, Sasuke."

000

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**Whew. I don't know. What do you think? Let my know by reviewing! Till next time :)**


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